The Sacrifice
by blu3crush
Summary: (Completed) Sara decided that life is no longer worth it and she decided to be the sacrifice. CSIForeverOnline June'14 Challenge: The subject of the story is fixing GSR. The story must resolve the present relationship between Grissom & Sara in a happy way. The difficulty is that Grissom could not appear in the story. Hope you will enjoy this despite the angst genre.
1. Chapter 1

**The Sacrifice**

**Chapter 1.**

Decided to participate the June 2014 Fan Fiction challenge. I should not have participated because there were a few ongoing fictions but then this idea came to me. Let see how this panned out.

_The subject of the story is Fixing GSR._  
_The story must resolve the present relationship between Grissom & Sara in a HAPPY WAY._

_The story:_

_- Needs GSR to be restored in a credible fashion_  
_- Needs to be strictly canon (what's aired since Forget Me Not)_  
_- Cannot be AU (dream sequences, time displacement, etc.)_  
_- Should include regular elements of a crime mystery that is solved in this piece_  
_-Think of it as a CSI episode._

_Characters_

_- Grissom cannot physically appear in this story or exchange dialogue with anyone. He may appear in letter form (email, text, handwritten letter.) We have to assume Billy Petersen is not coming back._  
_- Grissom may appear in past (3rd person) conversations and interactions ONLY._  
_- Any regular character may be used (except Warrick or any character that has died.)_  
_- New characters may be used_

* * *

**TEASER SCENE:**

_Gil, I love you. I always will. Goodbye. _

A tear slid down Sara's face as she pressed on the sent button on her iPhone. She wiped the tear away with the back of her hand.

Sara took off her CSI vest off and placed it on the hood of the Denali. She pulled her gun from the holsters and laid the gun on the top of her vest. She took her CSI badge off and placed it beside her gun.

She gave the three items who defined her identity for the past few years one last look.

Taking one deep breath, she ambled slowly to the bank entrance with both of her hands in the air.

No one noticed what Sara was doing.

Everyone, including of Conrad and Russell, was discussing whom to send into the bank. No one was willing to be the sacrifice.

"We don't negotiate with terrorists," Conrad said, folding his arms across his chest. His stance displayed that his decision was final. They were not going to exchange law enforcement personnel for hostages in the bank.

"SARA!" Greg shouted when he finally realized his best friend was not around. He looked around frantically and finally found the tall brunette standing in front of the bank entrance. Her hands hovered on the door handle.

Sara turned back to look at Greg and gave him a bright smile.

"Sara, don't do this." Greg ran forward, wanting to stop Sara from whatever she was doing.

"Sara," Greg pleaded.

Sara held her hands up to stop Greg from coming forward.

"Everyone out there has a life," Sara's finger swept across law enforcement personnel.

"And I don't have. I used to have but not anymore." Sara pointed her finger back to herself. Her life had ended the day when Grissom called her to talk about their marriage. How their marriage was no longer working. How she deserved someone who could make her happy. How his decision was of the decision for her. How warped his reason behind his decision to divorce her was.

It was because he loved her thus he wanted to set her free.

The call left her drained. She sat there in stunned silence.

Grissom ended the phone call with 'I love you.'

His 'I love you' sent a cruel blow to her heart. She broke down and anguished sobs wrecked her whole body.

"Tell Gil I never stopped loving him." Sara cried.

Sara pushed the door open and slid in.

She had decided to become the sacrifice no one willing to be.

**Fade to black. **


	2. Chapter 2

**The Sacrifice**

**CHAPTER 2.**

**SCENE 1: **

**INT. SARA'S HOUSE – DAY **

Sara let out a soft sigh when she walked into her house after a particular difficult shift. Russell had just assigned her to a case where the wife stabbed her husband to death. The wife bore all the signs of classic abuse. When Sara processed the wife, her heart clenched painfully.

The wife was shaking so badly that Sara wanted to hold her in arms and comfort her but she could not.

Sara had to stay objective.

All she could do was to give the wife's shoulder a squeeze and passed her the orange jumpsuit.

Sara realized her face was wet from her tears.

Sara dug her hands into her sling bag to search for her phone. She felt stupid doing this when he did not reply to any of her messages she previously sent but it was her way of coping. She always talked to Grissom about difficult cases, be it over the phone or through emails and short message. He would always find the right words to ease her discomfort.

Her nimble fingers worked quickly on the iPhone's screen composing a long message.

Sara longed a reply from him. She just wanted him to acknowledge her.

_Gil… how're you? I hope you're ok… I am worried about you. I had a difficult case today. It reminded me of my childhood. The blood in the bedroom was suffocating and nauseating. When I processed the wife, she reminded me of my Mum. She was shaking so badly and I wanted to hold her and tell her everything is going to be okay but I… didn't. Nothing is going to be okay. She was lucky that her pair of twin daughter was at school. At least they did not witness something so horrifying and traumatic. The saddest part was they are going to be foster care and no foster family like twins. They might have to place into different families. It's so sad and bleak. Sometimes, I just feel that I can't do it anymore. I'm tired._

Sara clicked on the 'Send' button and hoped that the advancing technology could bring the message to Grissom soon.

Sara threw her iPhone on the coffee table nearby and walked into her bathroom. She prepared for a bath and hoped that the hot water could sooth her nerves.

**FADE TO BLACK**

* * *

**SCENE 2: **

**EXT. BANK OF NEVADA – DAY **

The hostages were all lined out to form a circle around a man who was wearing homemade pipe bombs strapped to his mid torso.

An elegant dressed whose hair in a neat chignon bun woman, whimpered loudly. Her eyes were wild with fears and she was trembling. She clutched tightly to her rosary and began praying.

The man who stood in the middle of his circle rolled his eyes. He hated his religious peoples. He took a few huge strides towards her and his lips curled upward into a sinister sneer.

"You'll be the first." He dragged her to the middle of the circle by her hair, not caring if her neat hairstyle would be messed up.

"I'm declaring war with you the law enforcement of Las Vegas, Nevada." He spoke directly to the surveillance camera above him. He jammed the barrel of his gun on the frightened woman's forehead.

"Bye bye." He laughed and fired his shot.

Blood and brain matters splattered out from the dead woman's head.

He wiped it off his face without a care.

"Anyone who attempt to move or pray will be next." He warned.

**FADE TO BLACK**

* * *

I hope I am doing fine for the challenge. :)  
Next update will be soon… if you want it, let me know.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Sacrifice**

**CHAPTER 3.**

**SCENE 3: **

**INT. SARA'S BEDROOM – DAY **

After a relaxing bath, Sara lay on her bed with her laptop in her lap. Her cup of steaming Chamomile tea was placed on the bedside table. She swore off sleeping pills in aiding sleeping since the Ronald Basderic's episode. It still got under her skin that Ronald Basderic managed to stalk her without her noticing it.

Ronald Basderic still brought a chill to her body. She pulled her sleeping robe tighter and closed her eyes momentarily. She took a deep breath and released it slowly to calm herself.

It was evident that the deaths, the abuses and the crimes in this city still affected her. It was taking a toll on her. She felt she was burning out yet again.

She thought of running away again but this time she had no one, or nowhere to run to anymore.

She swallowed the huge, painful lump in her throat. The lump felt like a sharp diamond cutting. She winced. The creases between her brows deepened as she thought of Grissom.

She reached for her iPhone to check for messages. Her eyes were glued to the screen while waiting for the phone to light up but left disappointed once again. All of her messages were either from advertisers or from her co-workers.

Resigned, she threw her iPhone onto the bed. Reaching for the remote control, she switched on the stereos. Soft, melodious humming began to fill the room.

She began her routine of checking and replying to emails before she succumbed to exhaustion.

_DING. _

Just as Sara was about to close her email client, her laptop rang to notify her of a new incoming email. She maximized her email client and felt that her heart was figuratively in her mouth when she saw the sender of the email was 'Gil Grissom'.

The email was from the man whom she missed so dearly and loved with every fiber of her being.

She double clicked on the email with abated breath and hopes filled her heart.

_Sara, _

_Our divorce had been difficult on you… and on me too. _

_But you could not come running to me with your problems or difficult case. _

_You have to move on from me. When I asked for a divorce, it was all for your best interests in my mind. _

_You deserved a life without me. I am just an old fool who held you back. _

_I always wondered what if years ago, I did not send you a plant to apologize and ask you to stay in Las Vegas when you threatened to quit. Perhaps you would be married to a man nearer to your age and with the ability to give you a family you had always yearned for. You probably be happy and had a life ahead of you. _

_Though you had never voiced out your disappointment that we could not raise a child of our own, but I know it was eating you up from the inside._

_Honey, I am sorry for holding you back for so many years. _

_If I had never given the seminar, we would never meet. _

_If I had never led you on, you would quit. _

_If I had suppressed my need for you to comfort me after recusing of Nick, we would never start our relationship. _

_If we had never started our relationship, Natalie Davis would never lay her hands on you. _

_If I had never gone after you, perhaps you would start a relationship with the marine biologist. _

_There were too many what ifs, and I regretted every one of them._

_The least I could do now was to let you go. _

_You're still young. You still could have a life, a happier one._

_As cruel and cold-hearted as it might sound, you have to stop coming to me when you have issues. _

_You could only move on with your life when you forget about relationship, our friendship and me. _

**_I quote Theodore Roosevelt. "It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage that we move on to better things." _**

_Take care. _

_Gil Grissom. _

Tears sprang out of Sara's eyes as she realized it was all over.

She no longer had a safe harbor.

**FADE TO BLACK**

* * *

It's pretty Sara-centric, thus most scenes would feature her. However, there will be others (such as Greg, Russell and perhaps Brass) and definitely that maniac.

I hope you're still reading it. If you were, please let me know.

Cheers!


	4. Chapter 4

**The Sacrifice**

**CHAPTER 4.**

**SCENE 4: **

**INT. BANK OF NEVADA – DAY **

Since young, he had been like a ball, shuffling from one foster home to another foster home. He could not stay for more than a month in any foster home. The foster parents all deemed he was too brooding. They reported to social services that he was a difficult kid who could not get along with other kids.

The complaints ranged from shoving another kid down from the top of the bunk bed and showing no remorse and placing thumbtacks in some kids shoes and laughed when the kid pulled out his bloody feet.

He had no compassion for other kids. They bullied him and he wanted revenge.

He had no empathy for them. He could not feel their pains.

Their pains made him happy instead.

He was diagnosed as psychopathic.

Social Services had difficulties placing him in foster home due to his bad records. Social workers all wore a look of exasperation when they had to bring him back from the foster home.

He thought he would meander in the system until he reached of age but Ernie Dell had proven him wrong.

Ernie took him under his care and gave him something he always yearned for – love. Ernie did not show favoritism. The truth was that Ernie seemed to love his foster kids than his birth kids.

He loved and respected Ernie Dell very much. It was through Ernie that he met Natalie. Natalie and he had bonded immediately. They were both psychopathic. She had pushed her sister to death and she did not feel any guilt. She wanted her sister dead because her real father preferred Chloe. All she wanted was he to pay a little more attention to her but he could not because that bastard father of hers preferred and loved Chloe more.

The three of them shared a relationship that Lionel Dell was jealous. Lionel commented that the relationship they shared was freaky and disgusting. Lionel had despised them.

He could totally understand why Ernie committed suicide to protect Natalie but he was on fast track downward spiral when Ernie died.

He abandoned his job as mechanical engineer and was hooked on heroin.

He had nothing left now.

Natalie had taken the coward way out, hanging herself to death a few weeks ago.

She wrote him a letter that she could not handle the bleach anymore. Every time she worked with bleach, it triggered memories she badly wanted to forget. It was torturing. It was all Gil Grissom's fault for Ernie's death. It was all the CSI's fault. She was going to find Ernie now. She told him to revenge for Ernie and her.

He was going to revenge for Ernie and Natalie today. Today was the day he was taken under Ernie's care.

He chose his next target - a little girl was shivering in her mother's embrace.

Pulling the little girl out her mother's embrace, ignoring the mother's screams and the little girl's struggle, he jammed the barrel of the gun on the little girl's head.

The little girl's mother lurched at him but he was faster as he aimed his gun at the mother's kneecap and put a bullet through it, shattering the kneecap. The mother dropped to the floor and cried out in pain.

No one dared to go forward to help, afraid of incurring the wrath of the mad man.

He turned to the security camera and spoke.

"I want all of graveyard shift CSI here within 30 minutes. If not, this little girl would say bye to this world."

**FADE TO BLACK**

Have a happy weekend. Make mine a great one with your reviews. :)  
Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

**The Sacrifice**

**CHAPTER 5.**

* * *

**SCENE 5: **

**(CUT TO OUTSIDE OF BANK OF NEVADA)**

The scene outside of Bank of Nevada was chaotic. Sirens of the police cars were wailing. Reporters, like vultures, were all hovering just outside the scene. They all wanted to get an exclusive scoop of the biggest news of the day. The cameras, video recorders were all aimed at the bank.

It was a career breaking news. No reporters or broadcasters would want to miss this case.

Twenty hostages, one dead, one injured, were stuck inside the bank with a man with pipe bombs strapped on his body and yielding a gun. That man held a little girl at gunpoint, demanding for the graveyard shift CSI.

There were cameras trained at the graveyard shift CSI too.

Every CSI of the graveyard shift had reached except for Sara Sidle.

Five more minutes before the thirty minutes deadline was up.

"A little girl's life was on the hand on Graveyard Shift CSI, Sara Sidle who had not turned up despite numerous pages." One reporter reported.

Family members of the hostages glared at the CSI angrily. They were questioning about their competency.

**(CUT TO SARA'S HOUSE) **

Sara was beyond exhausted after reading the email from Grissom.

It was clear that Grissom wanted to cut off every connection with her. He had wanted her to move on from him.

How could she do that when she was still so deeply in love with him? She gave him her heart when she first met him in the seminar. She knew that he was the one whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life. Despite his heartless, painful actions in the earlier years when she was in Las Vegas, her love for him had never wavered.

"How could you be so cruel?" She asked and then laughed when she realized there was no one in her house to reply her.

Gil Grissom, the love of her life, had decided to cut off all ties with her.

All Sara wanted to do now was to pass out and disregard everything.

Wobbling to the kitchen, she reached into the deepest end of the drawer where she kept her emergency alcohol stash and the pills that almost destroyed her life months ago, Zolpidem.

Pouring two pills onto her hands, she wolfed it down with the Vodka. Vodka burnt her throat but she welcomed the burning sensation.

She did not know how she made it back to her bedroom and to her bed.

She just know she welcomed the darkness.

Her iPhone vibrated just as she slipped into the darkness.

* * *

A few more chapters and this will be wrapped up.

Initially I wanted to bring Heather into this story, letting her to be the catalyst of Sara and Grissom reunion but I decided to have someone else.

Have a good weekend ahead. Don't forget to leave a comment below!


	6. Chapter 6

**The Sacrifice**

**CHAPTER 6.**

_A/N: I may not be able to finish this before Sep 28 2014. But don't worry, I will complete this even I could not submit this for the challenge. :)_

_Thank you very much for reading!_

**SCENE 6:**

**(CUT TO NOVEMBER 2012, Peru)**

**(Screen displays 'NOVEMBER 2012, Peru' in white) **

An email was shown on the laptop.

TO: GilGrissom  
FROM: TaylorW  
SUBJECT: LET SARA GO.

_Mr. Gil Grissom, _

_Please let Sara go. _

_She's suffering because of you. _

_She wanted to ask for a divorce but she could not hurt you any further. _

_I could not see her suffer anymore. I love her too much. _

_I beg you to let her go. _

_Be the better man. _

_Do something for her. _

_Don't let her suffer anymore. _

_Every night, when she curled into my body, my heart broke when I could not sooth away her tears. _

_I am writing this to you to implore you to be the better man to let her go. _

_She will be free from you. _

_She will be happier._

_I could give her what you couldn't. _

_I could give her a family. _

_You couldn't. _

_It ate her up when she could not have a family. _

_Despite her tramautic childhood, she told me that she wanted a child of her own. And, you couldn't and wouldn't give her. _

_~ Taylor_

**SCENE 7:**

**(CUT TO OUTSIDE OF BANK OF NEVADA)**

"Where's Sara?" Russell bellowed, anger evident his voice. His pulse rate was rising.

Finn, Nick, Greg and Morgan shrugged. They did not know where Sara was. They had tried calling her cell and her home but there were no response.

"I could go to her house," Greg offered.

**BANG.**

"Shit," Greg muttered as he turned.

The loud bang came from the inside of the bank.

30 minutes was up.

A well-dressed man yelped and dropped to the floor. He had just watched the mad man inside the bank put a bullet through his daughter's head.

"Get an officer to Sara's house. No graveyard shift CSI is allowed to leave this scene." Russell rubbed his temple and instructed.

**SCENE 8: **

**(CUT TO INSIDE OF BANK OF NEVADA)**

The mother who was lying on the floor cried loudly when the shot was fired. She watched the mad man dropped her little girl onto the floor and kicked her little girl's lifeless body aside. She crawled towards her little girl without thinking if she would incur the wrath of the mad man. She just wanted to be near her little girl. She wanted to hold her little girl.

"Sara Sidle. This is on you." He spoke to the security camera.

"Another 30 minutes, if Sara Sidle is still not here yet, another person shall die." He scanned the room, looking for his next victim.

Everyone in the room cowered in fear.

He walked towards the crawling mother and stomped on her injured leg.

"If you want to blame anyone, blame CSI Sara Sidle."

**SCENE 9:**

**(CUT TO FLORENCE MCCLURE WOMEN'S CORRECTIONAL CENTER)**

**(Screen displays SEPTEMBER 2013, Florence Mcclure Women's Correctional Center in white) **

Natalie Davis was scribbling hard on the paper. Her tears were falling.

She wanted to die. She could not deal with bleach therapy anymore.

She hated Gil Grissom for putting her on the suicide watch.

She should have died a few years ago. She wanted to join Ernie but Gil Grissom had stopped her from doing it.

Once again, Gil Grissom had stopped her from being with the love of her life.

She wanted revenge.

She wanted Sara Sidle to die so that Gil Grissom would suffer the same fate as her.

She crushed the letter she was writing just now and began with a new letter.

_Dear Doyle, _

_I could not do it anymore. _

_All I wanted to be is with Ernie. _

_Please do something for Ernie and me. _

_I know you love Ernie as much as I do. _

_Yours Sister,  
Natalie. _


	7. Chapter 7

**The Sacrifice**

**CHAPTER 7.**

_A/N: While I do want to complete this before the challenge deadline ends, but I do not wish to rush into finishing it. Let's see how it goes. :) Cheers! Thank you very much. _

**SCENE 10:**

**FLASHBACK TO NOVEMBER 2012**

Email correspondence between Grissom and Taylor was shown on the screen.

TO: TaylorW  
FROM: GilGrissom  
SUBJECT: RE: LET SARA GO.

_Mr. Taylor, _

_I don't know who you are and what your motives are._

_I have absolute faith in Sara. _

_I would never doubt her or our marriage. _

_I hope I would never hear from you again. _

_Gil Grissom. _

TO: GilGrissom  
FROM: GilGrissom  
SUBJECT: RE: LET SARA GO.  
ATTACHMENTS:

_Sara would never have wanted to show you our picture together._

_Since you're such an old fool who is unwilling to let it go, I just have to send you some sort of proof. _

_I am not going to pull the 'If you love her, let her go' card. _

_I am telling you to let her go, to set her free. _

_She deserves much better. _

_She deserves someone better, stronger, younger and ultimately someone who could give her a home. _

_You couldn't give her a home or kids. _

_She told me about your medical report. Do you know how disappointed she was when she knew that she could not have a child? _

_You had no idea. _

_You were too self-absorbed. _

_You focused on yourself and your inability. _

_You shoved her back here. Back to a place where she could barely breath. _

_You never came for her. All you did was to wait at some exotic places and expect Sara to fly to you. _

_You're a selfish bastard who only received and never gave. _

_You had failed her and you had failed as a husband and most importantly as a lover. _

_Be the better man. Let her go. _

_~ Taylor. _

A hand was shown on the screen where it appeared to be pushing a mouse. The mouse pointer hovered around the attachment link.

After a few moments, the hand shown finally double clicked on the mouse's left button.

On the screen, it shown a picture of Sara and Ronald Basderic lying on the bed, blanket was only pulled to their waist. Ronald Basderic was shown to be naked from above his waist and Sara was wearing her camisole.

Sara's head was on Ronald Basderic's chest and Ronald Basderic's left hand was stroking Sara's hair affectionately.

**SCENE 11:**

**FLASHBACK TO JANUARY 2013 **

DB Russell gave Sara a pat on her back and a small smile before leaving his office, giving the privacy Sara needed. He knew the phone call was from her husband, the elusive Gil Grissom.

Sara looked at her iPhone as DB Russell walked out of his office.

She did not know if she should pick up the phone as she knew that once she picked up the phone, everything she held dearly to would end.

However, she knew that she could not hide any more.

Sighing, she finally pressed on the 'Answer' key.

"Hello," she said, hoping that her voice did not give her away.

"You've been hard to get hold of." He did not sound reproachful, just resigned and tired.

"Yeah, um, I'm so sorry." She apologized. She felt that her heart clenched painfully.

"How're you?" She asked.

"I'm okay." He replied. "Is now a good time?" he asked.

She felt a tear slid down her face and she brushed it off with her finger.

"It's never a good time to talk if you want to end our relationship or marriage, Gil. But, yes, we could talk now." Her voice cracked.

**FADE TO BLACK**

Thank you very much~


	8. Chapter 8

**The Sacrifice**

**CHAPTER 8.**

_A/N: I have some explanations. Ronald Basderic had disguised as Taylor Wynard and sent those emails to Grissom. As for the photo he sent to Grissom was a fake. He posed Sara with him. I not sure when did Sara start her zolpidem regimen but I think she always had difficulties with sleeping, so she had it as backup especially after a difficult/rough shift. Thank you. Have a happy weekend. Hope I can finish it soon. :)_

**SCENE 12:**

**INT. SARA'S BEDROOM - DAY**

**SCREEN FLASHES NOVEMBER 2012 ON THE SCREEN. **

We could hear the standard iPhone's ringtone in the background. After a few rings, the ringing ceased. We could hear a beep sound and the iPhone vibrated.

On the iPhone's screen, the phone lighted up. One message was displayed on the screen. The message was from Gil Grissom.

_Sara, call me. We need to talk. _

Sara was shown to be wrapped in blankets, apparently in deep sleep. There were beads of sweat covering her entire hairline. She was mumbling incoherently and clutching the blanket tightly to her.

Ronald Basderic was shown to be standing beside Sara's bed. He looked at Sara with a frown etched on his face. His hand went to the side of her face and forced her mouth open. He broke the vial open and the liquid in the vial dripped into Sara's open mouth. He let his hand go when Sara swallowed solution.

"Fast acting GHB. A special concoction made that was recently in market. It been said to heighten arousal and promote libido. Sara, aren't you a little dry these days? Your husband could no longer satisfy you, isn't it?"

Sara suddenly felt hot and kicked her blankets away. Her long, slender legs clenched tightly together, seemingly attempting to relief an ache between her legs.

He retrieved Sara's iPhone from the bed, which was just right beside her pillow. He tapped 0817 to unlock the iPhone.

"Didn't anyone teach you never use predictable passcode, Sara? Using your husband's birthday as passcode, I thought you were better than that." He scoffed.

He tapped into the message Grissom just sent, read it and then deleted it.

"Sara, your husband wants to talk." He sat on the bed and placed his hand on Sara's face.

"So… if you agree to me talking to him, just breathe," his hands slid down to Sara's chest and felt movement. "So you agreed."

Ronald Basderic tapped his finger on the iPhone with the numbers he had memorized.

"Hello, Mr. Grissom," Ronald Basderic said once the call was connected.

"You sounded surprise to hear my voice." Ronald Baderic hands slid further south and it disappeared under Sara's sweatpants.

"Where's Sara, you're asking. Sara's right here with me. Her body is curled right next to me. You know she is all tired out after a mind-blowing lovemaking with me. Have you ever given her any orgasms? When I talked about orgasms, I do mean real orgasms. Not some fake orgasm acts she put on to please you. To placate your ego."

Ronald Basderic placed the iPhone near Sara's mouth and she moaned loudly.

Ronald Basderic brought the iPhone back to his face. "How was that? I bet Sara never moaned for you like this before."

"Still did not want to believe about my intimate relationship with Sara?" Ronald Basderic hands glided up and down Sara's torso and it triggered a loud moan emitted from Sara's mouth.

"You could never satisfy Sara like this. Erectile dysfunction. It's common for man your age. It bruised your ego, wasn't it? Is that why you just decided to travel around the globe and leaving Sara back in a place where she could barely breath, where Natalie nearly took her life. I am glad that she found me and I found her. I am glad that I could be her anchor, her safety harbor. But YOU," he added emphasis on the 'YOU', "are holding her back. She could not ask for a separation because she's such a kind woman. And… those ex-colleagues of yours still hold you in high esteem. Sara would emerge as the bad woman if she has served you the separation papers."

Cries could be heard over the line.

"Do your part for Sara. Be the bad guy. Serve her the paper. Sara deserves respect from her colleagues. They are never going to see her as Sara Sidle if she serves you the paper. They are going to see her as someone who betrayed her marriage, who cheated on the exclusive Gil Grissom, the liar and the slut."

Disconnected phone call tone could be heard.

"Oh Sara, I think your husband just hang up the phone." Ronald Basderic deleted the Gil Grissom from the call records logs and placed it back on to side of Sara's pillow.

"Before I go, enjoy the sexual stimulation. This will be the only arousal you would ever get in a very long time." Ronald Basderic rolled his eyes and walked out of the bedroom.

**SCENE 13:**

**INT. BRASS'S NEW APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM – DAY**

**SCREEN FLASHES CURRENT ON THE SCREEN. **

Brass was relaxing on his couch, his laptop lying on top of his thigh. The television was on. He listened casually to what the news broadcasters were saying. Since his retirement from the police department, he had paid very little attention on the news or anything criminally involved in Las Vegas.

He was busy clicking through several realtor advertisements. He was looking for a small apartment near Ellie's prison so that he could visit her regularly. Their relationship was getting better. Ellie called him Dad and he was not ready to blow his only chance of remedy away.

_DING. _

His skype messenger alerted him of his incoming message. He had never liked using these communication technologies as he preferred the personal touch but it helped in staying in touch with the team and most importantly Sara. He felt guilty for leaving the department without Sara's advanced knowledge. She was livid with his decision when she learnt from Russell. She stormed into his office when he was packing everything into boxes.

He could not forget her eyes. They were filled with sadness.

**(FLASHBACK TO BRASS OFFICE)**

_"So… this is where it all ends?" Sara's tone was bitter and there was a hint of anger too. _

_"Sara, understand this, I got to do this. Ellie needs me and I need her." Brass explained. He walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. _

_She flinched away from his touch. "What about me?" _

_"Sara, I have always treated you as my daughter. Regardless if I am still in service with the PD or not, it will not change it." Brass said, sadly. _

_"I am sorry I didn't inform you earlier but I can tell you it was an impromptu decision. I am getting old. I am jaded. I need to retire. Sara." Brass hoped Sara could understand his predicament._

_"First it was Grissom… now you. Damn you guys." She huffed out before turning and disappearing in the long corridors._

_"Sara…"_

**(BACK TO CURRENT) **

He clicked on the chat window and smiled a little.

His old friend had decided to talk to him. His old friend, like him, was adverse to these chatting programs but he told him that it helped with communicating with Sara. However since their separation, Grissom had disappeared from Skype.

GRISSOM: Hello.

BRASS: Hello.

GRISSOM: How's Sara? Is she okay? I received a sms from her and I am worried. Did you check up on her after the case? It hits to close for her. Why did DB Russell assign such a case to her? Where were you? Why aren't you with her? You're supposed to be help her.

Brass frowned at Grissom's accusations. If he had recalled correctly, his action led Sara into a downward spiral. His action caused her to turn to alcohol again and resorted to sleeping pills to sleep.

Brass typed angrily on the laptop.

BRASS: If I recalled correctly, you caused her to be in such vulnerable situation. She had been different since you served her the separation papers. The crack in the marriage allowed that bastard Ronald Basderic and Taylor Wynard took advantage. She was stalked by a psycho who wanted her dead. She almost died with the showdown with Ronald Basderic. If we had not intercepted Ronald Basderis's gun, Sara would have died. Ronald Basderic would have killed her with one bullet straight through her forehead. Did you know what she had gone through?

BRASS: Oh, FYI, I have retired from the PD. I guessed you just did not bother to be updated about us.

GRISSOM: Wait, what happened? What do you mean Sara was stalked? Tell me everything.

BRASS: So now you care…

GRISSOM: Jim, please tell me everything.

**FADE TO BLACK**

Thank you. Do leave me a review or a note, as it is certainly an encouragement! :)


	9. Chapter 9

**The Sacrifice**

**CHAPTER 9.**

We're going to wrap this up in 2~3 more chapters. Hope you enjoy it so far. Thank you very much.

**SCENE 14:**

**INT. BRASS'S NEW APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM – DAY**

We could see Brass shifted from his comfortable sofa to a desk. His brows were furrowed and he was drawing deep breaths. He was tapping his index finger on his lips, contemplating on what to tell Grissom.

Grissom evidently had zero ideas on what Sara had gone through last year. She was stalked, gotten framed up for murder, being treated as a suspect and ultimately being processed by Finn, her mother being harassed by Ronald Basderic.

She had lost more than just dignity at work. Tongues started wagging when the photos of Taylor Waynard and her kissing outside the bar were in the lab. Gossipmongers were not kind to her who branded her as a slut, cheater and whore. It also did not help when Hodges were goading the gossipmongers. Grissom was highly coveted by Hodges. Hodges treated Grissom as his God. He was quick to throw in dirty stares at Sara and snide remarks.

Brass sighed out loudly. He began tapping on his keyboard. He knew he had to tell Grissom everything. Grissom needed to know. He told everything Grissom needed to know.

How Basderic stalked Sara and blamed her for Edie's death. How Basderic screwed up with Sara's prescription. What Sara went through when she accused of murdering Taylor Wynard. How she felt when no one believed in her innocence. How humiliated she was when Finn processed her. How hopeless she was when she announced she was separated from Grissom. How she almost died with a showdown with Basderic.

GRISSOM: I didn't know so many things had happened to Sara.

BRASS: Of course, you didn't know. You have never been a good listener, especially towards Sara. You were a good listener to everyone, me, Catherine, Warrick… and even Lady Heather. But, you never really listened to Sara.

BRASS: I have always treated Sara as my daughter. It hurt me when she's sad. I thought she would finally have her happily ever after when you left CSI to be with her. I knew something was off when she came back to Las Vegas without you. She just told us that her return was temporarily. I believed her initially but her temporarily stay stretched into a permanent stay when she bought a house in Vegas.

BRASS: What exactly happened between the two of you?

GRISSOM: We were happy when we were doing research in Costa Rica. We enjoyed the idyllic walks in the forest. We were both sad when the research project ended. We chose to go to Paris because Sara wanted to and a University in Paris invited me as their guest lecturer. We talked about having a baby. We went for our medical checkup. The gynecologist was optimistic but… our hopes were dashed every month. Every time when Sara felt a little nauseous, we thought she was pregnant then we would do a test but there was always just one line. Sara never gave up but I did. Whenever she measured her temperature and told me it was the most optimal timing, I had to jump into the bed with her. It was not making love anymore. It was a procedure that we did every day if we wanted a baby. But it was all worth it when the test kit finally showed two blue lines. You could never imagine the happy and shock look on Sara's face. Those tears that rolled down her face were of happiness. We were so happy. We turned the study into a nursery room. We bought so many baby clothes. We thought of the names. But, the baby was gone one night. I woke up to Sara's agonizing screams. When we flipped the light on, the blood on the bed scared us. The gynecologist said to let nature takes it course. If the bleeding did not stop, we would have to go to hospital. The bleeding stopped but the pains in our heart never stopped. Sara wanted to try again but I could not. It was then I suffered from Erectile Dysfunction. I didn't want to just have sex with Sara. I didn't want it to be just a process to have a baby. We drifted apart and I urged her to accept the job when Conrad called. I thought that we could make it through any difficulty but we didn't.

GRISSOM: So, when Sara chose to be with another man, I respected her. I gave her an out.

BRASS: What do you mean by another man?

GRISSOM: I received a few emails from a man Taylor and a picture of Sara and him on the bed. He told me that Sara needed someone better who could give her a home… a baby.

BRASS: Wait. Wait. Wait. What picture?

GRISSOM sends you an attachment: "SaraandI. jpg"

Brass accepted the picture. When he opened the picture, anger flashed across his face.

"Ronald Basderic, you bastard." Brass cursed.

BRASS: That was Ronald Basderic, the guy who stalked her and framed her. You should have known better. Sara would never leave you because you can't satisfy her. She pined after you for so many years and despite all your stupid actions, she never left you. You and your stupid egos. You let your ego came in between Sara. You never listened to her side of story. Have you ever talked to her about this picture?

GRISSOM: I called her but you know how devastated I was when it was a man who returned the call. Do you know how upsetting it was to hear Sara moaning for that man? What else could I do but to let her go?

BRASS: The Sara I knew would never betray the marriage. Basderic entered her house freely when she was all drugged out by Zolpidem. She loves you. She still does. I think the stupidest thing she ever did was to love you. You don't deserve her love.

GRISSOM: Brass… am I too late?

Brass thought about Grissom's question.

When he was about to answer Grissom's question, he was drawn to his Television.

A news reporter was reporting a new on the hostage situation in Bank Of Nevada and a certain CSI had decided to trade for the hostages.

On the television, it was shown that Sara crying "Tell him I never stopped loving him" to Greg. She stepped into the bank.

GRISSOM: What happened to Sara? I received a text message from her.

BRASS: You might be too late.

**FADE TO BLACK**

Rae: he's coming home soon to where Sara is. :D


	10. Chapter 10

**The Sacrifice**

**CHAPTER 10.**

A/N: It is the end. I have decided to complete it as the deadline is approaching and I don't want to miss it. There were many great entries, please go give their stories a read. Best of luck to other participants!

I hope this satisfies and brings hopes to GSR fans. Let's hope that CSI Season 15 would resolve GSR. One can hope. I enjoy this challenge and I hope you enjoy reading it. Thank you very much for the review and comment.

**SCENE 15:**

**INT. SARA'S HOUSE – BEDROOM – DAY **

Sara could not shake the look of contempt on Detective Crawford's face off her mind when she answered her door drowsily. She swallowed the huge lump that had formed in her throat as she quickly dressed. From what Crawford had briefed her, she knew that the situation was grave and Russell was pissed off with her for not answering her phone.

Sara regretted turning to Zolpidem and alcohol to numb her heart, her mind and her body.

"Sidle." Crawford shouted impatiently.

"I'm coming." Sara bit back her apologies. She did not owe Crawford an apology. She owed the innocent families an apology.

"A girl was dead because of her," Sara heard a female officer whispering to Crawford when she stepped out from her bedroom.

"Let's go," Crawford headed out without a second glance at Sara and the female office. He had thought Sara had cleared up her act after Ronald Basderic's episode.

Sara's heart clenched in pains and guilt gnawed at her.

**SCENE 16:**

**EXT. BANK OF NEVADA – DAY **

"Sara," Greg ran to her side when she exited from Crawford's car. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern laden in his voice.

Sara nodded absentmindedly. "Tell me what happened?"

"From what we know, the guy is Doyle White. He is…" Greg bit his lower lips, contemplating if he should tell Sara the whole truth.

"What's he?" Sara frowned, and demanded answer from Greg. She did not mean to snap at Greg but her mind was still dulled by the Zolpidem and she knew that a young girl was dead because she did not make it her in time. She was a murderer by proxy. Unlike what Grissom had told her, she had murder genes. It was just hidden in her.

"He's one of Ernie Dell's foster children," Greg swallowed, "Natalie Davis wrote to him before she committed suicide."

The name 'Natalie Davis' still brought a chill down Sara's spine. She gulped. "She… committed suicide?"

"She was initially put on suicide watch when Grissom found her miniature. She was released from suicide watch a year ago. She showed signs of improvement. But, apparently it was all an act. She wrote to Doyle White before she died." Greg explained, and clasped his hands over Sara's clammy hands.

"How did she die?" Sara answered, leaning her body against the frame of the car.

"She poisoned herself with bleach. She was working in the laundry room and the guards were on a chatty mode. She took the opportunity to drink all the bleach she could find."

Sara shuddered as she thought of how Natalie Davis exited from her life.

"Are you okay?" Greg asked again, brows knitted tightly.

Sara nodded once again but Greg was not convinced. He decided not to push it.

"What did Doyle White want?" Sara asked.

"He wanted all of graveyard shift CSI without weapons and bulletproof vests in exchange for all the hostages in the bank." Greg sighed.

"Russell and Conrad were unwilling to negotiate with him. We had since heard 3 more gun shots." Greg placed his hands on his temple and rubbed it.

"What?" Sara was not prepared for more death. The guilt further gnawed at her.

"Doyle White was a psychopath. He did not feel guilty for killing people." Greg clutched his fists angrily. He never thought that one could be so cold-blooded. How could one just kill without flinching? His years with facing death had not prepared him for this callous man.

"That's SARA SIDLE!" a sharp eyed reporter had spotted Sara's name tag on her vest and ducked under the crime scene tape.

"How do you feel about causing the deaths of the innocent?" the reporter asked and thrust the microphone towards Sara. Sara flinched when the video camera was aimed at her face.

Greg shielded Sara from the camera and shouted for an officer.

"Sara Sidle… how do you feel about killing the innocent?" the reporter was relentless in her questions despite being shoved out of the scene by the burly officer.

"It's not your fault, Sara." Greg gave her a small smile.

"It's entirely my fault," Sara muttered her breath as she followed Greg to the command center.

**SCENE 17:**

**INT. BRASS'S NEW APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM – DAY**

"Shit, stupid Sara," Brass cursed as he watched the lone figure walked into the bank without any form of protection.

He turned his attention back to his laptop and typed furiously.

BRASS: GET YOUR ASS BACK TO LAS VEGAS.

GRISSOM: What happened? I'm… scared.

BRASS: Sara had decided to be the sacrifice. She decided to exchange her life for the life of the hostages.

GRISSOM: Is she okay?

BRASS: For a very smart man, you have asked a rather stupid question. How could she be okay when she just walked into a mad man's trap? What did you do? You mentioned you received a sms from her. How did you respond?

GRISSOM: I… sent her a rather harsh email, telling her that she could not come to me whenever she had a problem. In my defense, I don't know why she kept coming to me with her problem when she had a man whom she loved and wanted to have a family with. It hurt whenever I see her emails or sms.

BRASS: You're just stupid. Get your ass back here and wish that Sara were going to be all right. I am going to the scene now. If you still care about Sara, you would come back. From what I knew, Sara had only loved you and only you. Her love for you had never wavered despite your confession with Lurie, you denying the promotions she deserved and you pushing her away whenever she hovered too near you. I bet you did not know she heard all of your confession with Lurie. The smartest thing you had ever done was not solving crimes but opening your heart to Sara and the stupidest thing you had ever done was believing in a man whom you had never met before and broke up with Sara. Oh, those were two things.

Brass closed his laptop with a bang without waiting for Grissom's reply. He hoped that Grissom could finally understand Sara's love for him. He also hoped that Grissom would not blow his second chance if he had one and Sara survived.

**SCENE 18:**

**EXT. BANK OF NEVADA – DAY **

Sara watched the exchange between Russell and Conrad. They both look defeated when they were done.

Morgan sidled towards Sara and touched Sara's arm. "You know this isn't your fault."

Sara could not understand why everyone was comforting her that it was not her fault when it was. They should be comforting the families not her.

"Morgan, I know you meant well but I wanted to be alone." Sara said as she drew her arms away from Morgan. She caught Nick's eyes and shook her head. She did not need Nick coming over and to tell her it wasn't her fault.

"I will be with Greg," Morgan retreated quickly.

"Morgan, I'm sorry." Sara caught Morgan's hands and apologized. "I'm just not myself."

"Sara, I understand." Morgan patted Sara's hands and walked over to Greg.

**SCENE 19:**

**INT. BANK OF NEVADA – DAY **

Doyle White was getting impatient and he looked at the vintage clock that displayed in the middle of the bank and realized his thirty minutes deadline was up again.

His eyes swept across the trembling hostages and he singled out a boy who was holding his mother's hand tightly. The little boy was shivering and his head hung low as instructed by his mother.

He yanked the boy out of his mother. His mother protested and held on tight. He kicked the mother in the face. The kick sent the mother sprawled on the floor, whimpering.

"Take me instead, please. He's still young." She pleaded and crawled over to Doyle White.

Doyle stomped on the mother's head without flinching.

"Tick tock tick tock. Your time is running out. I want a CSI in here. Preferably Sara Sidle. I know she finally came. We will have so much to talk, isn't it Sara?" Doyle White said.

He hit the boy's head with the bank of his gun when he realized the boy had peed on him.

**SCENE 20:**

**EXT. BANK OF NEVADA – DAY **

The media went into a frenzy mode when Doyle White mentioned Sara's name. All of the cameras, and video cameras were aimed towards Sara's direction.

Sara hugged herself tightly. Tears were forming in her eyes but she refused to let it fall. She tilted her head upwards and closed her eyes.

"YOU!" she felt someone shaking her violently. "ALL BECAUSE OF YOU, my little boy is going to die. Why can't you take the responsibility and go in and exchange for all the hostages. I don't know what vendetta that crazy man had with you. Don't get us, innocent civilians, caught in your feud." The man broke down into sobs. "My boy is still so young."

"Sir…" Sara was lost for words. She could feel the man's grief. He was about to lose someone he loves.

She knew how painful it was to lose someone you held dearly in the heart.

Greg spotted the commotion and came over. "Sir, please, you're not supposed to be in here." He held the man firmly in his shoulders and guided him to the family side.

Sara looked at the grieving man and she decided to fix this situation.

She slid her hands into her jean pockets and fished out her phone.

If she were going to die, she would want to send a message to the man she had ever loved and still loved.

**SCENE 22:**

**EXT. BANK OF NEVADA – DAY **

Sara walked into the bank without fear. She was prepared to die.

"Let them go," she met Doyle White's eyes and demanded.

"Oh Sara. You're here." The corners of Doyle White's mouth lifted upwards.

"They could go now." He let the little boy off and the boy scrambled to his mother side.

"Come here." He extended his hands towards Sara.

"I've got a pain in my sawdust. That's what's the matter with me. Something is wrong with my little inside." Doyle White recited Natalie's favourite song as Sara made her way to him.

"I'm just as sick as can be. Don't let me faint, someone get me a fan. Someone else run for the medicine man. Everyone hurry as fast as you can. I've got a pain in my sawdust." Sara recited along with Doyle White.

She had never liked the song as she found it to be creepy but there were nights after she escaped from the cars where she found herself reciting this song. Natalie was singing it when she left her under that mustang.

"You know of this song too." Doyle White was immensely happy.

"We're all the same. You. Me. Natalie. We're all broken." Doyle White's smile was eerie as he aimed the gun at Sara.

**SCENE 22:**

**EXT. BANK OF NEVADA – DAY **

"Where's Sara?" Brass bellowed when he arrived at the scene. The officers on duty had let him in despite he had no badge.

"She went in there," Greg pointed to the bank.

The hostages filtered out slowly and they ran to their loved ones immediately when they saw them.

Brass felt his pulse rising, "can't we send in a SWAT team?"

"SWAT team is on standby. When all hostages were accounted for, they will be entering the bank." Russell answered Brass's query.

A loud bang was heard from the inside of the bank.

SWAT team barged into the bank when they heard the gun shot.

They all waited worriedly for the SWAT team's updates. Greg leaned his head on Morgan's shoulders and Nick clenched and unclenched his fists.

Brass was impassive but deep within him he was as worried as the team. He felt his phone vibrated.

It was a text message from Grissom.

_I'm at the airport now, waiting for the first flight out to Nevada. They put me on the waiting list. All flights were fully booked. Keep me updated. _

"It's Sara! She's okay." Greg shouted when he saw two SWAT members escorted Sara out.

**SCENE 23:**

**EXT. BANK OF NEVADA – AMBULANCE - DAY **

Sara was sitting on the stretcher, waiting for the day shift CSI. The EMTs did a quick check on her and declared she was fine.

She was fine physically but she could not say so she was fine mentally.

"Sara," Brass approached her as the team looked from the side.

Sara was still in a daze as she ignored Brass's calling. Her mind was still swirling with the events that had just happened.

Doyle White was aiming the gun at her and she closed her eyes, wishing for a quick death.

When she heard the loud bang, she expected to feel a pain in somewhere of her body but there was none.

Instead, she felt something warm splattered on her. Her eyes flickered open and she saw Doyle White had shot himself in the heart. He lingered for a while before he exhaled his last breath.

"Sara," Brass voice raised a few notches.

"Grissom's on the line." Brass held his phone in front of Sara, brandishing it.

It caught Sara's attention. "Brass?" She wanted to jump into Brass's arms but she could not as she did not want to compromise evidences.

"Grissom wants to talk to you. He's on the line." He passed her his phone.

"Brass… please." Sara was not in the mood for jokes.

"Just listen," Brass motioned Sara to hold the phone against her ear.

"Sara," Sara sighed.

"Gil, is that you?" Sara could not believe it was really Gil's voice.

"Where're you?" She cried.

"You coming back?" Sara could not believe what she just heard.

"Yes." Pause. "Yes." Pause. "Yes."

"Are you really coming back?" Sara asked again.

"We can talk when you're back." Pause. "Oh, It's your last call. Okay. Bye." Pause. "I love you, too."

"What did he say?" Brass asked when he took back his phone from Sara.

"He's coming back. He asked if we could explain why he decided to break up when he's back. He regretted his decision and foolishness. He asked if I could forgive him for his foolishness. He asked if I could forgive him. He said he would do anything to get me back. And, he said he loves me." Sara broke into a smile.

She did not care if she compromised evidences. She pulled out the necklace where she strung her wedding band. She took her wedding band out of the necklace and slipped it back on to its rightful place.

"Let's just hope that Grissom does the right thing from now on."

**SCENE 24:**

**INT. MCCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – NIGHT **

A familiar back view of a figure with white curls touched the nape of his neck was seen exiting the arrival hall.

The view was moved to the figure's hands and a gold wedding band similar to Sara was seen on the ring finger.

The view was moved to Sara who was standing outside the arrival hall gate, face glistening with tears.

She held up her left hand to show her wedding band.

She smiled when he too held up his hand.

"We can make it through," Sara whispered as he walked towards her.

**FADE TO BLACK**

**THE END**

It's completed. Somehow I felt that it was a little rush but I hope this ending satisfies. At least we can hope that they're back together somehow. Don't forget to leave me a comment. Thank you very much.


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